are the rich guys having more fun?

Leeuw

I find I still get thrown about on the downs, struggle on the ups, and take ages to stop.

My first bikerbeast was a steel rigid Raleigh with naff group, my next a Diamondback CroMo with LX and RockShox Quadra21's (I think?!), my current a Stumpy M2 Pro hardtail with Pace/HOPE/XT/SRAM/Chris King etc (right place, right time with this one!).

I still get thrown all over the place on the downs - but I'm doing 40+ instead of 20-ish.

I struggle on the ups - overweight and asthmatic. Never going to be quick!

It still takes me ages to stop - Canti's on Raleigh, LX V's on DB, XT V's on Stumpy - takes me ages to stop because I'm going so much faster

One element that hasn't changed though is the huge grin on my face - got to love nailing a trail, whatever you're riding

But to answer the original question, yes, I did notice a huugggeeee difference between each bike - but I was soooo happy on each one at the time!

S-M

I have a 1k Boardman hardtail...

I have a £130 Specialized FSR from 1998 that i have spent about £130 on.

I prefer riding the FSR :!: the Boardman is now only used to commute to work, the FSR is my fun bike that i take out with the MTB club and use/abuse.

The brakes are better on the Boardman though, but not for long :P

CarpOnWheels

Beginner (but not a novice cyclist) here, currently enjoying himself thoroughly on £300 worth of Carrera Vengeance despite its obvious limitations.

Without going into to much details, my current bike was basically a punt on whether I'd managed to get my knees back to a condition such that they'd allow me to use them for, say, walking after riding a bike for 10 minutes, so wasn't about to risk serious money. Turns out I had, so no problems spending in future.

One question for you chaps with genuinely expensive machinery...

Do you find yourself able to utterly abuse said bikes, or is there part of your brain thinking "Do I really want that much mud on £700 worth of drivetrain?" or "Bin it here and that's a lot of carbon fibre heading for the tip", or something to that effect?

As things stand, I have plenty of bike envy, and will almost certainly act to deal with this at the start of next year - need that time to work out exactly what I want. I'm just a bit concerned that being sat (literally) on that much cash would make me a bit hesitant regarding what I did with it thereby spoiling the fun somewhat, whereas I've no concerns at all about damaging the current bike.

bomberesque

are the rich guys having more fun?

yes ... yes we are

Thewaylander

CarpOnWheels wrote:

Beginner (but not a novice cyclist) here, currently enjoying himself thoroughly on £300 worth of Carrera Vengeance despite its obvious limitations.

Without going into to much details, my current bike was basically a punt on whether I'd managed to get my knees back to a condition such that they'd allow me to use them for, say, walking after riding a bike for 10 minutes, so wasn't about to risk serious money. Turns out I had, so no problems spending in future.

One question for you chaps with genuinely expensive machinery...

Do you find yourself able to utterly abuse said bikes, or is there part of your brain thinking "Do I really want that much mud on £700 worth of drivetrain?" or "Bin it here and that's a lot of carbon fibre heading for the tip", or something to that effect?

As things stand, I have plenty of bike envy, and will almost certainly act to deal with this at the start of next year - need that time to work out exactly what I want. I'm just a bit concerned that being sat (literally) on that much cash would make me a bit hesitant regarding what I did with it thereby spoiling the fun somewhat, whereas I've no concerns at all about damaging the current bike.

Got a Dune R so whole bike value when new was a bit shy of 3k, and the answer is i bought it to abuse like a Thai hooker so i fear nothing!

1mancity2

CarpOnWheels wrote:

Do you find yourself able to utterly abuse said bikes, or is there part of your brain thinking "Do I really want that much mud on £700 worth of drivetrain?" or "Bin it here and that's a lot of carbon fibre heading for the tip", or something to that effect?

In a word No, once im on the bike I never think how much its worth, I fall off alot and the bike takes a proper beating, bent brake levers, bent handlebars, etc.

Its all replacable, you are not, I have a friend who panics about getting his bike scratched etc and it shows in his riding.

Leeuw

CarpOnWheels wrote:

Do you find yourself able to utterly abuse said bikes, or is there part of your brain thinking "Do I really want that much mud on £700 worth of drivetrain?" or "Bin it here and that's a lot of carbon fibre heading for the tip", or something to that effect?

Have to admit I was a little careful on the first ride on my Stumpy - think it lasted about 3.5 seconds

It's odd that I lovingy caress my bikes when not in use, then treat them as tools for good fun when riding them! You can't really enjoy an MTB if you worry about mud / sand / stones / rocks etc. I did once think my carbon PACE forks had gone on a descent, but is was only the front rim splitting!! (And the rear had split too when I stopped; I did hit a rock quite hard, but we were blasting down a track known locally as "Rim Wrecker Alley" )

CarpOnWheels

Cheers for the replies chaps

I suspect my attitude when I upgrade will be along the lines of Leeuw's first ride on his Stumpy - a moment of care, then sod it, here we go!

I know it's impossible to give a short answer to this, but here's another silly question regarding spending a bit\load\how-f'ing-much more...

At what point do diminishing returns for cost seriously start to kick in in terms of capability and performance? In other words, when does extra spend just end purchasing something that mere morals won't end up pushing hard enough for it to be noticeable?

Sorry if that sounds daft and overly complex as it clearly depends on bike flavour, intended use, rider skill and fitness, and the size of the budget in the first place.

bomberesque

At what point do diminishing returns for cost seriously start to kick in in terms of capability and performance? In other words, when does extra spend just end purchasing something that mere morals won't end up pushing hard enough for it to be noticeable?

I expect the answer is lower than the one I'm going to give but I'm going to say .... a grand

ofc depends on the rider but you can get so much bike for a grand these days (esp HT) that most of these bikes are at least equal to most riders. I've not owned a bike that wasn't a better bike than I am a rider in bloody years and I've had a blast

From my skewed bikes-are-my-vice POV, I start getting the shakes over about 2 grand for a HT and over 3 grand for a FS, which is why I've stopped short of one of those super-duper carbon trail FS bikes that look so lovely but will cost just a bit more than I'm willing to lay out

YeehaaMcgee

Leeuw wrote:

Have to admit I was a little careful on the first ride on my Stumpy - think it lasted about 3.5 seconds

Wow that's a short ride

Since I replace things that I break, with stronger parts, I'm less and less worried about breaking my bike. Both of them are now pretty bombproof, ans should survive anything short of a nuclear blast.

Leeuw

YeehaaMcgee wrote:

Leeuw wrote:

Have to admit I was a little careful on the first ride on my Stumpy - think it lasted about 3.5 seconds

Wow that's a short ride

Since I replace things that I break, with stronger parts, I'm less and less worried about breaking my bike. Both of them are now pretty bombproof, ans should survive anything short of a nuclear blast.

I didn't want to get it dirty - I'm up to 15 second rides now

louthepoo

im over 40, asthmatic and overweight so my riding is limited to me! im still a bit of a puff on fast downhills but try and throw the bike around as much as i can and not worry about what it cost, no point tootling around on a bike built for speed

Briggo

are the rich guys having more fun?

Yes thanks.

paul.skibum

The people having the most fun are the ones who don't have to ride with their girlfriends. That looks like a sure fire method of destroying the joy of mountain biking for one or both parties involved.

From a cost point of view none of my bikes have cost me more than a grand - my current Heckler just got a rear shock upgrade so its total cost I guess has gone up to 1200 quid - so maybe that's a lie. I have thoughts of more expensive bikes - I quite fancy a Stumpy Expert Pro Nobby Nubbins or a Trance Advanced Zero but I can't justify the cost and since I pretty much laugh the whole way round on my current bike (unless I am going up hill in which case I giggle self conciously) I have no reason to kill myself financially to buy a new one.

snotty badger

I was looking at some Gucci brands of HT frame, then thought, it won't make me any faster or increase enjoyment over a half decent main brand one. Ended up with the Kula frame off eBay, it rides brilliantly so I'm very happy.

I still look at Pipedreams etc, one day I might treat myself...

felix.london

CarpOnWheels wrote:

Do you find yourself able to utterly abuse said bikes, or is there part of your brain thinking "Do I really want that much mud on £700 worth of drivetrain?" or "Bin it here and that's a lot of carbon fibre heading for the tip", or something to that effect?

Never think that. It's a machine designed to ride up and down mountains, over rocks and through streams, sand & snow and that's what I'm using them for...I am concerned about damaging my watch and/or phone when I crash though, go figure

CarpOnWheels

felix.london wrote:

CarpOnWheels wrote:

Do you find yourself able to utterly abuse said bikes, or is there part of your brain thinking "Do I really want that much mud on £700 worth of drivetrain?" or "Bin it here and that's a lot of carbon fibre heading for the tip", or something to that effect?

Never think that. It's a machine designed to ride up and down mountains, over rocks and through streams, sand & snow and that's what I'm using them for...I am concerned about damaging my watch and/or phone when I crash though, go figure

Fair point, although the phone and watch are being carried because you can discern a benefit from their presence, so there's an element of risk\reward going. When it comes to upgrade time, what concerns me is the point at which money is being spent for no discernable benefit thereby resulting in risk but no reward. In absolute bike terms, it's the choice between, for example...

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/carve-comp-29er-2012-mountain-bike-ec030141
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/stumpjumper-comp-carbon-29er-2012-mountain-bike-ec030695
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/stumpjumper-sw-carbon-29er-2012-mountain-bike-ec030697

Okay, so there's no way I'd consider spending £6k, but they're all entirely affordable out of savings so could theoretically be purchased. However, for mere mortal me, there's going to be a point in that list where I'd just be buying higher repair and maintenance costs with no discernable positives.

felix.london

I wouldn't ride any of those bikes any differently because of their value. I ride at basically 90-100% all the time and the only thing that holds me back is the chance of damaging myself...not the bike

felix.london

...when I crash I never think if the bikes alright. I just straighten the handlebars and get back on. On the occasion something brakes I put it down to wear and tear and make a mental note to replace the part with a stronger one next time. Easy

MountainMonster

CarpOnWheels wrote:

felix.london wrote:

CarpOnWheels wrote:

Do you find yourself able to utterly abuse said bikes, or is there part of your brain thinking "Do I really want that much mud on £700 worth of drivetrain?" or "Bin it here and that's a lot of carbon fibre heading for the tip", or something to that effect?

Never think that. It's a machine designed to ride up and down mountains, over rocks and through streams, sand & snow and that's what I'm using them for...I am concerned about damaging my watch and/or phone when I crash though, go figure

Fair point, although the phone and watch are being carried because you can discern a benefit from their presence, so there's an element of risk\reward going. When it comes to upgrade time, what concerns me is the point at which money is being spent for no discernable benefit thereby resulting in risk but no reward. In absolute bike terms, it's the choice between, for example...

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/carve-comp-29er-2012-mountain-bike-ec030141
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/stumpjumper-comp-carbon-29er-2012-mountain-bike-ec030695
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/specialized/stumpjumper-sw-carbon-29er-2012-mountain-bike-ec030697

Okay, so there's no way I'd consider spending £6k, but they're all entirely affordable out of savings so could theoretically be purchased. However, for mere mortal me, there's going to be a point in that list where I'd just be buying higher repair and maintenance costs with no discernable positives.

There is a reason people buy the luxury version of things, because they want it. Just because you won't be faster doesn't mean it's not something you can be proud of having. Risk, but no reward? You seem to really not know what your on about, there is risk, and yes it does cost more to fix if something goes wrong, but I would say having a nice bike is a reward, and if you like the bike alot, and saved for it, or even bought it straight because you have the disposable income, it is certainly a reward.

bennett_346

felix.london wrote:

CarpOnWheels wrote:

Do you find yourself able to utterly abuse said bikes, or is there part of your brain thinking "Do I really want that much mud on £700 worth of drivetrain?" or "Bin it here and that's a lot of carbon fibre heading for the tip", or something to that effect?

Never think that. It's a machine designed to ride up and down mountains, over rocks and through streams, sand & snow and that's what I'm using them for...I am concerned about damaging my watch and/or phone when I crash though, go figure

All the expensive bikes i've ever had haven't coped well in extreme weather. Now i begin to think "is it really worth doing this river crossing when there's a bridge right there, knowing if i do i'll need to strip the wheel bearings, frame pivots, BB might need replaced if it washes the grease out and seizes, and will all this mud kill my new brake pads..."

I've broken way too many things on my bikes now to bother with the little bit extra fun that comes from muddy or wet riding in extreme stuff. And it's always ended up putting my bike out of action for a few weeks which just isnt worth it.

YeehaaMcgee

Sounds like you need a Marin - mine's like the duracell rabbit - it just keeps going and going and going.

CarpOnWheels

MountainMonster wrote:

There is a reason people buy the luxury version of things, because they want it. Just because you won't be faster doesn't mean it's not something you can be proud of having. Risk, but no reward? You seem to really not know what your on about, there is risk, and yes it does cost more to fix if something goes wrong, but I would say having a nice bike is a reward, and if you like the bike alot, and saved for it, or even bought it straight because you have the disposable income, it is certainly a reward.

Erm, I do know precisely what I'm on about, thank you.

The value derived from having something "better" for the sake of it, rather than because of what it actually does in reality, varies considerably from person to person. My points were entirely personal insofar as I'm not one of those people who gets a kick out of buying stuff purely for the sake of having stuff or being seen to have stuff, especially when the purpose of said stuff is to have the crap beaten out of it. I appreciate there are plenty who do, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Neither attitude is wrong, they are merely different.

The Rookie

You'll rarely bin a bike bad enough to kill all of it, worst single item is the forks, after that most can be fixed fairly cheap, even if it's a new frame job. Ride it like you stole it!

1mancity2

The Beginner wrote:

You'll rarely bin a bike bad enough to kill all of it, worst single item is the forks, after that most can be fixed fairly cheap, even if it's a new frame job. Ride it like you stole it!

Yeah!

felix.london

The Beginner wrote:

You'll rarely bin a bike bad enough to kill all of it, worst single item is the forks, after that most can be fixed fairly cheap, even if it's a new frame job. Ride it like you stole it!

Yeah baby!!

cooldad

1mancity2 wrote:

The Beginner wrote:

You'll rarely bin a bike bad enough to kill all of it, worst single item is the forks, after that most can be fixed fairly cheap, even if it's a new frame job. Ride it like you stole it!

Yeah!

Mancity? It probably is.

felix.london

Torres

paul.skibum wrote:

The people having the most fun are the ones who don't have to ride with their girlfriends. That looks like a sure fire method of destroying the joy of mountain biking for one or both parties involved.

I quite like riding with the ball and chain; she's got a gung-ho attitude and seems quite happy to hit anything that crops up infront of her. She has fun, I have fun, everyone wins.

The arguments start in the workshop though.

paul.skibum

Torres wrote:

paul.skibum wrote:

The people having the most fun are the ones who don't have to ride with their girlfriends. That looks like a sure fire method of destroying the joy of mountain biking for one or both parties involved.

I quite like riding with the ball and chain; she's got a gung-ho attitude and seems quite happy to hit anything that crops up infront of her. She has fun, I have fun, everyone wins.

The arguments start in the workshop though.

The exception that proves the rule. I rode in the Alps with some mates and one of their girlfriends came along - she tackled some pretty tricky stuff, took a few spills but got on with it and as she is a good friend of mine too I was happy to have her there. Even though in the grand scheme of things she was slow.

More recently I rode with a mate and his GF - she is also a friend but less so - she was a power house up hill but anything technical had her walking, she was slow, she didn't exactly complain but my otherwise very fit, capable ride buddy became this guy who hangs at the back and rides slow to check his GF is alright - who can be f*cking arsed with that!

And yes - I am single!